Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) has decided to close schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) from early 2020.

Israeli Channel 12 reported earlier that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the decision with members of the Israeli National Security Council during a meeting last week.

The TV channel reported that no permissions will be issued for UNRWA schools to act in East Jerusalem from early next year, saying they will be replaced by schools run by the Israeli municipality of the city.

The United States, the largest single contributor to UNRWA, announced last August that it would end its $350 million a year funding for the agency, describing the organization as an “irredeemably flawed operation”.

The UNRWA is responsible for delivering services to some 5.4 million Palestinians, while this move will affect some 3,000 students who attend seven UNRWA schools in two refugee camps that sit within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries, according to the agency.

]]>Project for Sanitary Units in Aqqaba Girls School in Aqqaba City Funded by Japanhttp://english.pnn.ps/2019/01/16/project-for-sanitary-units-in-aqqaba-girls-school-in-aqqaba-city-funded-by-japan/
Wed, 16 Jan 2019 06:11:59 +0000http://english.pnn.ps/?p=31141Tubas/PNN/

Mr. Takeshi Okubo, Ambassador for the Palestinian Affairs and Representative of Japan to Palestine, visited Aqqaba City in Tubas Governorate to celebrate the completion of the project funded by the Government of Japan through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).

A grant of US $88,460 was extended to Aqqaba city to improve the sanitation environment for the students and teachers at Aqqaba girls school, by installing of new toilet unit. Upon the completion of the project, 315 students including disability students in addition to 230 students from 1st – 5th class and their teachers will benefit from healthy learning environment.

In his speech, Mr. Okubo emphasized Japan’s firm commitment of supporting Palestinian people from human security perspective as well as the importance of implementing social and economic development projects needed for Palestinian communities.

Since 1993 the Government of Japan has extended its official development assistance to approximately US$1.86 billion, to the Palestinians. GGP projects have been formulated in collaboration with the Palestinian Authority through Ministry of Finance and Planning since 2010.

]]>ANERA Urges U.S. Government to Revise or Reverse Decision on Pulling Aid to Palestinianshttp://english.pnn.ps/2019/01/16/anera-urges-u-s-government-to-revise-or-reverse-decision-on-pulling-aid-to-palestinians/
Wed, 16 Jan 2019 05:53:59 +0000http://english.pnn.ps/?p=31137Jerusalem/PNN/

USAID’s abrupt decision to end all of their West Bank/Gaza programming by January 31, 2019 means that ANERA’s Palestinian Community Infrastructure Development (PCID) program will be ending 11 months earlier than scheduled and over 100,000 Palestinians could be deprived of promised access to safe water, health facilities, education and playgrounds. This decision also puts on hold a 40-plus-year partnership between ANERA and USAID.

ANERA’s USAID-funded PCID program has six community infrastructure projects underway in the West Bank and Gaza and, with programming unexpectedly due to halt at the end of January, only one will likely reach full completion. ANERA had also planned, pending funding approval, three additional projects in Gaza to meet emergency needs.

The organization is currently negotiating with USAID for time to complete all six ongoing projects and advocating for time to start and complete the three pending Gaza projects.

The cuts will also force ANERA to lay off two-thirds of its staff and close two of its offices in Palestine. Non-USAID programs will continue as planned, with funding from institutional and individual donors. ANERA will still build schools, install water networks, provide medicines to charitable clinics, foster women’s economic empowerment, and help small family farmers. However, the end of ANERA’s larger USAID-funded infrastructure projects in Palestine will cut off thousands of people living in vulnerable conditions from life-changing interventions.

The nine USAID projects combined, for instance, would provide more than 114,000 people with access to safe water, education, health services and a playground for Gaza’s children.

“We don’t want any of these projects stranded and incomplete,” says ANERA President Sean Carroll. “Who wants to be the one to go the communities we have worked hard with to develop needed projects, and say to a family, ‘sorry, you will not have access to safe water as we discussed.’ Or to a group of young boys on the street in Gaza, excited about the prospect of a new park in their crowded neighborhood, ‘sorry, but we’re not building your park after all.’ Or say to a young girl, ‘sorry, you won’t able to go to high school now, because we don’t have the funding anymore.’”

ANERA is currently working with other donors to fund the completion of these projects, but it is hard to replace the larger-scale funding we received from USAID.

The closing of USAID’s mission in Palestine ends a productive relationship that stretches back to the 1970s. ANERA and USAID have worked very successfully together to provide relief as well as sustainable, long-term health, education, and economic development in vulnerable Palestinian communities across the region and in the West Bank and Gaza.

Tayseer Khaled, a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, raised concerns about the early Israeli elections, which are utilized by Benjamin Netanyahu as a launching pad for a massive settlement plan in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. The Israeli government is also implementing a large-scale construction plan to expand the Efrat settlement toward Bethlehem, which will siege the city. The establishment of this new settlement requires the construction of new roads and infrastructures. 14 ministries will be involved with the plan and allocate funds from their budgets to support it.

This plan is an extension of a large-scale settlement project that the Israeli government has been preparing for years. The Israeli army has confiscated 1700 dunums of private land in 2009 from the citizens in the region, in order to expand the Gush Etzion settlement. By confiscating land and treating it as ‘state land’, the Israeli authorities aim to build 2,500 housing units. This project comes as part of Netanyahu’s efforts to win the votes from the Israeli right-wing. The expansion of Efrat is called E2 plan, similar to the E1 plan in East Jerusalem, which aims to connect Jerusalem with the settlement of Maale Adumim and to completely isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings.

Tayseer Khaled stressed that it is clear the Israeli government is working at a high speed, especially in the sight of the early Knesset election. It is accelerating the process of constructing settlements and approving additional settlement schemes, in order to tighten control over the Palestinian land in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. The Israelis plan to build 2,500 more settlement units near the Efrat settlement, south of Bethlehem. In addition to the Har Homa settlement on the north of the city, Bethlehem will not be able to expand to either its north or south.

Once the 2,500 additional settlement units are built, Efrat will be qualified as a city. There are already four other settlements classified as Israeli cities: Elit (south of Jerusalem), Betar Illit (south of Jerusalem and west of Bethlehem) (East Jerusalem) and Ariel (south of Nablus and north of Jerusalem).

In response to a question about Israel’s settlement activity after the election of Donald Trump as the president of the United States, Tayseer Khaled stated that the settlement activity has increased by several times with the Trump administration, according to the data from Israeli organizations. “The settlement construction activity increased by 2.5 times to 6712 units in the first 9 months of 2018 comparing to 2016, which is the highest level since 2002.”

According to the National bureau for Land Defense and Settlement Resistance, 87% of the new housing units will be built in “isolated” areas – outside the existing settlement blocs. Thousands of units are being planned on the east of the separation wall and a few hundreds on the west. 121 housing units are planned in the settlement of Yitzhar, south of Nablus, which is considered a stronghold of the ultra-right settlers. In addition, there will be two industrial zones near the settlements of Avni Hefts and Betar Illit. There is another plan calling for the establishment of a new settlement near the “Mishneh Danny” outpost, in the form of an internal educational institution.

In his response to the question on the national strategy to confront the threat of Israeli settlement, Tayseer Khaled said, “Unfortunately, there is no national strategy against the threat of settlements, an imminent threat to the unity of the national territory and to the Palestinian national presence. What we have are policies that deal with settlements that succeed here and fail there. There are sporadic field battles in which citizens offer sacrifices in defense of the Palestinian land. This is an incorrect situation and needs to be changed, so that a national strategy can be developed.”

“I do not underestimate the importance of the peaceful popular resistance against the settlements taking place in more than one place in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. There are excellent examples of steadfastness against occupation in Bil’in, Ni’lin, Ma’asara, Azzun, Atzmeh Atmeh, Kafr Qaddum, Burin, Auref, Asira, Qaryut, Jalud, Qasrah, Jureish, Eastern Lebban and many others where the citizens fight their battles and make sacrifices worthy of appreciation and respect. It is a constitution of the First Intifada in 1987 in terms of wide participation, and is inspired by the Al Aqsa Uprising in July 2017, which forced the occupation to step back on its decision.”

“In terms of Israel, we need freedom from the restrictions of the agreements signed between two sides, beginning with the Oslo Accords and ending with the Paris Protocol.”

December 2018 has witnessed a decline in the number of violations against media freedoms in Palestine compared to the previous month, but it has remained at high levels, and most of them are serious attacks against the lives of journalists and media freedom in Palestine.

MADA -The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms – has monitored a total of 43 attacks in December 2018, most of which were committed by the Israeli occupation (32 attacks), and a total of 11 attacks were committed by Palestinians. It should be noted that the previous month has witnessed 57 attacks committed by the Israeli occupation.

The Palestinian Attacks:The Palestinian attacks registered during December show a slight rise amounting to eleven attacks compared to eight during the month of November.
The Palestinian attacks against media freedoms during December included Palestinian security forces beating journalists Abd Al-Muhsin Shalaldeh and Malik Al-Ja’bari while they covered a march in Hebron, in addition to detaining Al-Ja’bari for about two hours.

A photographer, Abdelkareem Mseitef, was detained in the headquarters of the Palestinian Intelligence, Al-Balou, for four and a half hours while he was covering a march in Ramallah. A freelance journalist, Sami Saed Al-Saee, reports that he is prohibited from transmitting any news in connection with the governor or Tulkarem Governorate, arresting the journalist, Mutasem Saqf Al-Heit, by the Palestinian Preventive Security in Nablus, summoning the journalist, Abdelmuhsen Shalaldeh, by the Palestinian Intelligence Service in Halhoul, and questioning him, summoning the programs preparer of Palestine TV, Sameer Skaik, by the Internal Security in Gaza, twice, questioning and detaining him for long hours, seizing the money transfer of the staff salaries of the Jordanian office of “Al-Haqiqa TV” in Bethlehem by the Palestinian Intelligence Service, in addition to the injury of the journalist, Nidal Ishtaya, by stone while covering a demonstration in Kafr Qaddum.

The Israeli Attacks:
The Israeli occupation forces have committed a total of 32 attacks, most of which involve serious attacks against the lives of journalists and media freedoms, including numerous attacks involving groups of journalists and complex attacks, which include several different attacks integrated all together.
Among the most prominent and serious Israeli attacks registered during the last month of 2018, is the injury of at least 9 journalists by rubber and metal bullets and gas bombs which the occupation soldiers continue to directly and deliberately fire at journalists. Journalist Attiya Mohammed Ali Darwish, while he was covering the events of the peaceful return march on December 14, 2018, in the area of “Carney” –Gaza, was injured by a gas bomb which had hit him in the face and penetrated the bone of his face by 7 cm, causing bleeding and damage to his jaw and left eye.

In addition to the injury of Darwish, four other journalists were injured by gas bombs fired directly at them, namely: the photojournalist, Mohammad Wael Abduljawad Al-Duwaik, injured by a gas bomb in the forehead, the photographer, Majdi George Banoura, injured by a gas bomb in the left hand and the left side of his head causing a fracture to one of his fingers, Hasan Abdulfattah Mohammad Islaih, injured by a gas bomb in the foot, Thaer Khalid Fahmi Abu Rayash, injured by a gas bomb in the abdomen, the freelance photojournalist, Ribhi Abed Al-Koubary, injured by a rubber bullet in his left hand, Musab AbdelsamadShawer Al-Tamimi, injured by a rubber bullet in his left hand, and Mustafa Mohammad Al-Badri Hassouna, injured by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the leg, and Sami Jamal Taleb Masran, injured by explosive bullet fragments in the foot.
Among the most prominent Israeli attacks monitored during the month of December, in addition to the aforementioned nine injuries, is breaking into the main headquarters of the Official Palestinian News Agency “WAFA” by the Israeli occupation forces, detaining the staff members inside the headquarters, and throwing a gas bomb at the balcony of Al-Tahrir Hall, even though 14 staff members were inside the headquarters at the time. This is in addition to breaking into Al-Noor printing shop in Ramallah by the Israeli occupation forces and bombing its doors at night as well as confiscating its equipment and printing machinery. The owner of the shop, Khaled Hussein Musfir, estimated the total price of the confiscated equipment and machines at 32,000 shekels. This is in addition to detaining and arresting four journalists this month, namely: Sameh Mahmoud Mohammad Abdullah who was arrested from his home in the village of Izbat Al-Jarad in Tulkarm, and the journalist Hussain Hashim Shuja’ia who was arrested from his home in the village of Deir Jreir, and Samer Abu Eisheh from Jerusalem (released the day after his arrest and transferred to house arrest for a week), and Mousa Sarhan ho was arrested from his house located in Alluban Al-Gharbiya.

The Israeli government has allocated a 1182.5-dunam (around 300-acre) area on Givat Eitam for the purpose of building new settlements. The plan will expand the settlement of Efrat toward Bethlehem, in an area considered particularly sensitive for diplomatic reasons, Haaretz reported on Tuesday.

According to the Israeli media, the neighborhood is expected to expand the built-up area in the Gush Etzion settlement up to the southern outskirts of the Palestinian city, in a manner that would surround Bethlehem with settlements.

A petition against the planned construction on the site was submitted to the High Court of Justice by Peace Now. On December 26, 2018, the Israeli State Prosecutor’s Office made an announcement to grant the planning license to the Housing Ministry. The license is scheduled to take effect within 30 days from the date of publication of the announcement.

The site is expected to include several hundred settlement units.

]]>Israel claims to have arrested five Jewish teens over stoning death of Palestinian womanhttp://english.pnn.ps/2019/01/07/israel-claims-to-have-arrested-five-jewish-teens-over-stoning-death-of-palestinian-woman/
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 11:42:38 +0000http://english.pnn.ps/?p=31014PNN/Jerusalem/

The Israeli Occupation Authorities on Tuesday claimed that they have arrested five Jewish teenagers on suspicion of murdering a Palestinian woman in the West Bank three months ago.

Aisha Mohammed Rabi, a 48-year-old mother from Biddya, was driving with her husband Yacoub near a West Bank checkpoint south of Nablus when the settlers began to throw stones at their vehicle. Rabi was hit in the head and died shortly after being transported to the hospital.

The Israeli police soon arrived at the scene and opened an investigation. Five teens have been arrested since December 30 as part of a major Jewish terrorism probe in the West Bank. The Shin Bet internal security agency said in its Sunday statement that all the suspects were students at the “Pri Ha’aretz” yeshiva in the nearby settlement of Rehelim. A gag-order has been placed to prevent publication of more details in the investigation, including the names of the attackers.

A group of far-right Israeli activists gathered outside the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protest the arrests and call for his intervention on Saturday night.

Leaders and representatives of Palestinian factions condemned Hamas and its security apparatuses in the Gaza Strip against Fatah movement and its supporters and institutions.

Sources in Gaza said that Hamas started arrests campaign against Fatah movement members and begun and threatened dozens to force them not to participate in the 54th celebration of the movement.

Earlier Fraiday unknown assailants raided on Friday the headquarters of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) in Gaza City and destroyed a lot of the equipment available there.

Local sources said five masked men, armed with batons and sharp tools and with pistols hidden in their pants, raided the PBC headquarters in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Tal al-Hawa, before they destroyed a lot of the equipment available at the site, including transmission and recording equipment, cameras, computers, furniture and surveillance cameras.

The assailants also destroyed the archives of the recording tapes, as well as the portraits of President Mahmoud Abbas and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The Palestinian government condemned on Friday the attack by unknown, masked assailants on the headquarters of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) in Gaza City earlier today.

Government’s spokesman Yousef al-Mahmoud described the attack as a “barbaric attack by mercenaries and paid squads of chaos” on the official and sovereign bodies of the State of Palestine.

Minister Ahmad Assaf, the General Supervisor of the Official Media and the chairman of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), on Friday blamed Hamas, the de facto authority in Gaza, as responsible for the attack on Friday by five masked assailants on PBC headquarters in Gaza City.

Assaf personally blamed the chairman of the Hamas politburo and Hamas chief in the Gaza Strip for the attack, given the fact that Hamas has been the de facto ruler of the Strip since its takeover of the enclave from the Palestinian Authority in 2007.

“This crime comes in conjunction with the Israeli attack on the official Palestinian media. A few days ago, a Palestine TV correspondent was injured [by Israeli soldiers] in Nablus while reporting on the crimes of the occupation. Before that, the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) was raided [by Israeli army],” Assaf said during an aired interview with official Palestine TV.

Palestinian Presiden Mahmoud Abbas says Palestine will never allow the United States to sell Jerusalem to Israel, reiterating that the occupied city will remain the eternal capital of the state of Palestine.

Jerusalem is not for sale, Abbas said in a speech marking the 54th anniversary of the Fatah party’s founding in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday.

“We will not allow anyone to advance a plot against Jerusalem ,” he noted, stressing that the city “will remain the eternal capital of the Palestinian state, as the late President Yasser Arafat said that a Palestinian child will raise the flag of Palestine on the walls, minarets and churches of Jerusalem .”

Israel lays claim to the whole Jerusalem al-Quds, but the international community views the city’s eastern sector as occupied territory.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967 and later annexed the city in a move not recognized by the international community.

US President Donald Trump sparked anger among Palestinians and the entire international community in December 2017, when he recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli “capital.”

Washington also moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied city months later in defiance of global warnings.

Abbas said that the embassy relocation would fail to undermine the right of Palestinians to Jerusalem and would not cause them to give up their principles.

He also emphasized that the Palestinian people would press on with their struggle until they establish their independent state, saying, “The revolution goes on and will continue.”

Abbas further said that the Palestinian nation would not accept Trump’s so-called “deal of the century” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In the wake of Trump’s policy shift on Jerusalem the Palestinian president described the US president’s proposed plan, which is yet to be unveiled, as the “slap of the century,” saying Washington could no more act as a mediator in the so-called peace process due to its bias towards Tel Aviv.

Abbas went on to say that Washington’s punitive measures against Palestinians would not change their position on “refugee rights.”

Amid tensions with Palestinians, the US ended its decades of funding for the UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees and slashed aid for projects in the West Bank and Gaza.

“The continuation of the colonialist settlement and the occupation of the land of the State of Palestine will not break our willpower, nor will it harm our resolve, because our people will not kneel but to Allah, and this is our land and holy places, and this is the land of our forefathers and grandfathers,” Abbas pointed out in his latest remarks on the subject.

He also warned that Israel’s “racist” laws and measures would not bring security and peace to the occupied territories, but would rather expand the cycle of violence and bloodshed there.

Abbas further congratulated the families of martyrs and prisoners, insisting that Palestinians will ultimately emerge victorious in their struggles against the Israeli occupation.

PCHR Calls upon Security Services to Stop Summonses and Arrests on Political Grounds, Emphasizing that Freedom of Political Participation is Right Guaranteed

Today and yesterday, The Interior Security Service (ISS) in the Gaza Strip summoned dozens of Fatah Members on grounds of calling for the celebration of the 54th anniversary of founding Fatah Movement, which marks Tuesday, 01 January, and ordered them not to organize any event for this occasion. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns these summonses and emphasizes that the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and political participation are rights guaranteed in the Palestinian Basic Law, particularly Articles 19 and 26, and shall not be prejudiced under any pretext. PCHR also calls upon the security services to completely stop the arrest and summons campaign on grounds of political affiliation.

According to PCHR’s investigations, the ISS summons campaign has targeted today and yesterday dozens of Fatah Movement members throughout the Gaza Strip, including secretaries, members of governorate and area committees, and other activists. The security services released some of the arrestees while others are so far under arrest, forcing them not to hold any event or ceremony to commemorate the founding of Fatah Movement. Some of those detained and later released said that they were summoned by ISS via phone calls to refer to the ISS offices; each according to his residency, and were threatened in the office of holding any activity. Some officials and Governorate Committee Members said that they received calls on their cell phones from persons claiming they were ISS officers and informing them that any event on the occasion of the Fatah founding has been banned.

Eyad Subhi Safi (37), Member of Fatah Revolutionary Council, said that at approximately 10:30 on Sunday, he received a call informing him to refer immediately to the ISS office in western Khan Younis, where they told him that any event or activities relevant to the commemoration of Fatah Founding either in universities or other places is banned. Safi added that members of Fatah movement in Khan Younis also received calls on their cell phones from persons identifying themselves as ISS officers and informing them of banning any event relevant to this occasion and so threatening them of holding any.

PCHR reiterates its rejection of the arrests and summonses on grounds of political affiliation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and expresses its concern over summoning dozens of Fatah activities and preventing them of holding any event to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of Fatah Movement.

PCHR emphasizes that the arrests by the Palestinian Authority’s security services against the Hamas Movement activists in the West Bank that is also condemned by PCHR would not justify the arrests by the authorities in the Gaza Strip against Fatah Movement activists;

PCHR emphasizes that personal freedom is a natural right that is ensured and cannot be prejudiced” according to the Palestinian Basic Law, which also prohibits “arresting , checking, detaining or restricting the movement of a person without a judicial warrant,” and “whoever is arrested or detained must be informed of the reasons of his arrest or detention;”

PCHR emphasizes that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed in the Palestinian Basic Law and the international human rights standards;

PCHR stresses that the right to peaceful assembly only requires a written notification to be sent to a Police Director or the Governor according to Article 3 of the Public Meetings Law 12/1998. Mroeover, Violating this condition is not enough for dispersing the demonstration or arresting the organizers unless the demonstration included riots;

5. Stresses that calling for a demonstration does not constitute in any way a crime or basis for a summons even if the demonstration has not met the procedures; and

PCHR calls upon the Attorney General to intervene immediately to stop such summons campaigns without a warrant issued by the Public Prosecution and without any real basis that proves occurrence of a crime or an incident that requires a summons; and

Calls upon PCHR and security services in the Gaza Strip to respect the Palestinian Law and Public Freedoms and comply with the Criminal Procedure Law.

From a series of border protests in the Gaza Strip to thousands of new settlement units in the West Bank, 2018 has indeed been an eventful year in Palestine. As the year draws to a close, we have taken a moment to look back and compiled a list of ten most important news stories in the past twelve months, and many of them are certainly set to reverberate in 2019.

1) Great March of Return- 30 March 2018

Started on the annual Palestinian Land Day, thousands of demonstrators joined a series of weekly protests along the Gaza-Israel border. The campaign aimed to demand the right of return for Palestinian refugees, an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, as well as the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. It is the biggest movement in the recent history of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and has resulted in deadliest days since 2014 war on Gaza.

The planned six-week campaign has extended into November. Every Friday, Palestinians set tires ablaze, flew Palestinian flags, sometimes threw rocks and flew incendiary balloons and kites. The Israeli soldiers responded with tear gas and rubber bullets on the ones who got too close to the fence. According to the report from the Ministry of Health, at least 210 Palestinians were killed and more than 18,000 were injured.

Thousands of unarmed Gazans joined the Great March of Return and the Israeli forces fired tear gas and ammunition in response.

2) US Embassy Opens in Jerusalem- 14 May 2018

On December 6, 2017, the US President Donald Trump announced his decision to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is interpreted as an official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem was led by Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner on May 14, coinciding with Israel’s 70th Independence Day.

In the meantime, the protests in the Gaza Strip escalated in response to the US Embassy move. At least 52 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,200 were injured along the Gaza-Israeli border.
The Secretary General of the PLO Erekat criticized the Trump administration for violating its obligations under international law, including UNSCR 478, and the U.S. own commitments towards the peace process.

Senior White House Adviser Ivanka Trump and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at the dedication plaque as the US embassy opened in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, but in Gaza, protests against the embassy’s relocation from Tel Aviv to the holy city left more than 52 dead, as Israeli armed forces fired and dispersed tear gas against demonstrators. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun and Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

3) 70 Years of the Nakba- 15 May 2018

May 15 marks 70 years of the Nakba, meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic. The Nakba Day is commemorated to honor the more than 700, 000 Palestinians who were uprooted from their homes in the 1948 war. The eviction has created a refugee crisis and led to the core Palestinian demand in the later peace process – the “right of return”.

Marches and demonstrations have taken place across Palestine and around the world. In the West Bank, clashes broke out between the protesters and the Israeli occupation forces in the areas of central Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem and Ramallah. The Palestinian diaspora and activists also gathered in major cities in the United States, South Africa, and Lebanon, demanding Israel to bring justice for its human rights violations.

A female Palestinian protester throws stones during clashes after protests near the border with Israel in eastern Gaza City on May 4, 2018. EPA Photo/Mohammed Saber

4) Jewish Nation-State Law- 19 July 2018

The Israeli Knesset passed a new basic law by a vote of 48 – 41 on July 19. The law defines the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and reiterates that the unified and complete city of Jerusalem is its capital. The controversial bill also downgrades the status of Arabic from an official language of the state to a special status, arousing fear of further marginalizing 1.8 million Palestinians with Israeli citizenship and other minority groups.

Despite the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the Nation-State Law “respects the rights of all of its citizens,” discontent rises among both Jewish and Arab communities. In August, an estimated 50,000 Israelis gathered at Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square, calling for cancellation of the law and protesting against polarizing the Israeli-Palestinian issues.

In response, the Palestinian cabinet also condemned the Israeli government for rejecting any international efforts to achieve the two-state solution and denying the historic, cultural, and national existence of the Palestinian people on their own land through passing this law.

Arab lawmakers tear up copies of the nation-state law in the Knesset, July 19, 2018. Olivier Fitoussi

5) Ahed Tamimi Released- 29 July 2018

Ahed Tamimi is a Palestinian teen activist. On December 15, 2017, Tamimi participated in a demonstration in her hometown, Nabi Salih, and was filmed slapping and kicking two Israeli soldiers. She was soon arrested during an overnight raid after the video went virus on the Internet. Her trial gained wide attention from the international society to the situation of Palestinian activists.

In March, the 17-year-old Palestinian girl reached a plea deal with the military prosecution. The deal includes serving eight months in jail and a fine of 5,000 shekels. On July 29, Ahed Tamimi and her mother were released by Israeli occupation authorities from the Hasharon Prison in Ramallah.

Ahed Tamimi, 16, is seen in the Ofer military prison near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, before a 17 January hearing at which an Israeli military judge ordered her to remain in prison until the conclusion of her military trial. Ziv ActiveStills/Oren

6) US Aids Cuts- 24 August 2018

In late August, the United States announced to halt its funding to the United Nations Relief Works and Agency (UNRWA). The organization provides healthcare, food and education to more than 5 million Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The United States has been the biggest patron to the UNRWA, contributing $350 million every year. This decision means that the UNRWA will lose 30% of its annual budget and have to cancel its programs by a large scale.

On September 9, the US President Donald Trump redirected approximately $25 million originally planned for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, which is the last US aid program for Palestinians. The withdrawal of the financial support will affect thousands of Palestinians, including cancer patients and children.

Palestinian employee of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) hold a sign during a protest against a U.S. decision to cut aid, in Gaza City January 29, 2018. Reuters/Mohammed Salem

7) Closure of Washington PLO Office- 10 September 2018

On September 10, the United States announced the closure of Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington, DC. According to a statement from the US State Department, the PLO office was permitted to operate to “support the objective of achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. However, the PLO has not taken steps to advance the start of direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.”

The Palestinian Authority described the US decision as “a declaration of war on efforts to bring peace to our country and the region”. The Palestinian Council made a statement that “the closure is yet another American step toward attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause and not only affects the political situation, but rather affects serious humanitarian aspects related to the consular services provided by the organization.”

Flags fly over the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office two days after President Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton announced that the State Department would close the PLO office in Washington, U.S., September 12, 2018. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

8) The Application for Full United Nations Membership- 28 December 2018

On December 28, the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Riyad al-Malki announced that Palestine would initiate an application to gain full state membership at the United Nations. Al -Malki is scheduled to submit the formal request to the Security Council during his upcoming visit to the UN Headquarters in New York in January 2019.

It will be the first time since 2011 that the Palestinian Authority applied for full UN membership. Acquiring the committee’s approval requires at least nine out of fifteen Security Council members to vote in favor of the motion and none of the five permanent members to use its veto power.

Given that the United States will most likely to block the application as a permanent member state, any attempt from Palestine to upgrade its current status as an observer state to a full-member state faces huge obstacles. Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, made a statement, “We are preparing to stop the initiative.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters in New York, September 26, 2014. Reuters/Mike Segar

9) Jewish Settlements

In 2017, the Israeli government approved 6,742 settlement units for construction, which was the highest since 2013. In early January, the total number of Jewish settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has already reached 600,000. In 2018, the Israeli government continued to advance its plans.

In January, the Peace Now NGO reported that Israel has approved more than 1,000 settlement units in the West Bank. in July, the Israeli Defense Minister Lieberman announced to build 400 settler homes after a violent conflict resulting the death of one Jewish settler and injuries of two. In August and December, more than one thousand new settlement units were approved respectively.

The Israeli confiscation of Palestinian land, demolition of Palestinian homes, and settlement building have been the biggest obstacles to the two-state solution. But in the past two years, the number has skyrocketed. According to Peace Now, 96% of those approved “are in isolated settlements that Israel will likely need to evacuate within the framework of a two-state agreement”.

The Jewish settlement of Beit El near the West Bank city of Ramallah August 27, 2018. Photo by Shadi Hatem

10) Netanyahu Investigation

The Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has been surrounded by corruption scandals in 2018. He is accused of accepting gifts in exchange for preferential treatments as well as allegations he attempted to bribe Israeli telecommunication companies for favourable coverage.

Throughout the year, Israeli police has questioned Netanyahu and his family for several times. The police also recommended Netanyahu be charged with bribery and fraud based on the sufficient evidence. While Netanyahu admitted the acceptance of these gifts, he denied there was any favour in return.

On December 24, the right-wing leader called for early elections in April 2019. Although the latest poll suggests another victory for the incumbent Israeli Prime Minister, the ongoing legal investigations will surely shape the outcome of the election.

The Palestinian government says it has decided to put a ban on the entry of Israeli vegetables, fruits and poultry into the Palestinian markets in response to an Israeli ban on the import of corresponding Palestinian products.

The Palestinian cabinet, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, announced the decision following its weekly meeting in Ramallah City, in the central occupied West Bank, on Thursday.

“In accordance with the principle of protecting the local produce and the Palestinian farmer, in order to achieve the government’s policy of supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian farmers, and in light of the unilateral Israeli decision to prevent the entry of Palestinian vegetables and fruits into Israeli markets, the government decided to prevent the entry of all kinds of vegetables, fruits and poultry into the Palestinian markets,” the statement said.

Last week, the Israeli regime banned Palestinian agricultural products after the Palestinian government decided earlier not to allow Israeli livestock into Palestinian markets in a bid to protect the domestic livestock farmers.

According to official data, Palestinian vegetable exports to the Israeli market in 2017 reached nearly 56 million US dollars, and fruit exports hit 5 million dollars.

This comes as Palestinians have been calling for a ban on Israeli goods, urging people worldwide to unite against Tel Aviv and put an immediate embargo on Israeli products.

Over a decade ago, a coalition of worldwide organizations established an international campaign, known as the BDS, which advocates boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

The BDS aims to initiate “various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law” and end its occupation of Palestinian territories.

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel’s continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.

Israeli settlers set up tents on the east of Khallet in northern Jordan Valley on Wednesday.

Arif Daraghmeh, a human rights activist, said that settlers pitched tents east of Khallet Makhoul in the northern Jordan Valley, setting up camp for them and their sheep that they had taken with them.

The camp has incited some fears in the local Palestinians “that these tents will become a new settlement”.

In similar situations prior to this, these camps start off as caravans that evolve into illegal settlement outposts on Palestinian land; the first sign of the establishment of official settlements.

The Jordan Valley is a sparsely populated land, rich in fertile soil, with the promise of potential. However, for the most part, Palestinians have been stripped of the right to realise that potential. Although it is in the West Bank, the majority of the area is controlled by Israeli occupation authorities, where around 85% of it is inaccessible to Palestinians, B’tselem reported last year.

Around 20 illegal Israeli settlements have already been established in the Jordan Valley so far. They are usually set up by settlers under the protection of the Israeli occupation army.

With the announcement of thousands of new settlement units across the West bank being approved by the Knesset, it seems the threat of this most recent Israeli caravan is further imminent suppression of the Palestinian people.

In his latest weekly report about Israeli settlements activities in the occupied West Bank including Jerusalem the National Bureau for the Defense of Land stated , that

The course of hatred and attacks on the Palestinian people continue and take a more dangerous curve following the formation of more organized and coordinated extremist groups in the West Bank that launched calls under the title “there’s operations, no Arabs. Moreover, they called for gathering at road 60 that extends from Hebron to Nablus in order to prevent the Palestinians from using it. In their calls, the settlers wrote to Netanyahu, that if he fails to protect them, they will act themselves. Bit-Eil settlement council Headm Bin Yashai told the Israeli army leaders that he and other settlers would prevent the re-opening of th road.

According to Israeli information and reports, settler attacks on Palestinians classified as hate crimes have increased by 60% than the last year 2017. Data indicate that in 2017, there were 79 cases of aggression, but 2018 recorded 127 cases, which means that one assault every three days, including puncturing car tires, uprooting of trees and racist slogans on walls, injuries and physical assault, killing and assaulting animals. The highest number of attacks was recorded in the villages of Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron Governorates.

The Israeli army guarantees the protection of settlers on the streets of the occupied West Bank. A military statement stated that concrete cubes, obstacles and others have been erected to protect them. The army has also reinforced its army in several battalions in the West Bank to ensure the maximum protection of the psychological and material rights of settlers. “It is unreasonable to have an operation, and the next day waiting to have the same, said deputy president of the Knesset, Israel Yishlar, who called for the duplication of checkpoints by adding 12o new ones, thus, the Israeli government developed a new policy to punish Palestinians through building more illegal settlements using that as a preferred collective punishment by Israel against the Palestinians, though violating the international law and its resolution, the latest of which was resolution 2334 of 2016, which condemned the Israeli settlement policy.

Within this context, the Gush Etzion settlement council confirmed the completion of a plan to build of 14,864 new settlement units in the settlements of Gush Etzion, located between Bethlehem and Hebron. The head of the settlement council said, the new construction would triple the number of settlers in Gush Etzion, adding that the construction of settlement units has been planned for a year and a half, with the construction of 1,100 settlement units in the settlement of Tzurim, 600 in the “Magdal Oz” settlement, 1107 units in the settlement of “Ga’ot” and 1,200 units between “Beit Ayin and Magdal Oz “was spent, to have a geographical connection, NIS 18.9 million was paid for the planning only.

In a related matter, in the city of Hebron in particular, an internal report for the International Monitoring Force found that the city was collapsing under the burden of occupation and settlers, and that Israel violates the international law as it attacks the Palestinians regularly, violated their freedom of movement and their right to access worship places. The report criticizes the Israel’s actions in the city. “Hebron is more divided today than ever before because of the actions of the Israeli government and the settlers,” said the report. The report also stated that Israel is constantly violating Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the deportation of persons under occupation, and “normal life” is not available anywhere in the city, especially in the Old Town area – located in Area H2. The report indicated violations of road construction on Palestinian-owned land, particularly at the Qiryat Arba settlement in central Hebron, and the destruction of homes of the Palestinians that were built since the Ottoman period.

The European Union expressed its deep concern over the demolition of a school in the area of Al-Simeya, north of Hebron, in Area C, on Dec. 5th. The European Union, in a statement issued by its representative said, “this is the 5th time that the Israeli authorities demolish or confiscate school buildings or kindergartens in the West Bank in 2018.” The total number of schools in Area C and East Jerusalem, which have been ordered to demolish or stop works in them were 50, which led to the creation of a compelling environment affecting more than 5,000 school children. ” He called on the EU to stop the demolition and confiscation of Palestinian homes and propert

The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media issued a new report on Wednesday December 12, 2018 titled “Palestine and PayPal – Towards Economic Equality” written by economic researcher Ubai Alaboudi. The report analyzes the abstention of the online payment company PayPal and the impact of this stance on the Palestinian economy.

The report discusses readiness of the Palestinian economy and the efforts exerted by the Palestine Monetary Authority to overcome the economic obstacles as well as the developments that have taken place in recent years, presents the purchasing power of the Palestinian economy and the potential opportunities if PayPal provides its services to Palestinian citizens. The report also discusses the advocacy efforts that have been put forward thus far and highlights the impact of the policies of online payment rails on digital rights. The report concludes with a series of recommendations for Palestinian stakeholders and decision makers.

The report analyzes the abstention of the online payment company PayPal and the impact of this stance on the Palestinian economy and discusses readiness of the Palestinian economy and the efforts exerted by the Palestine Monetary Authority to overcome the economic obstacles as well as the developments that have taken place in recent years, presents the purchasing power of the Palestinian economy and the potential opportunities if PayPal provides its services to Palestinian citizens.

This report is necessary to demonstrate the importance of electronic commerce in general, and PayPal in particular, for Palestinians, given the circumstances of the long-term Israeli occupation. Indeed, Israel restricts import and export to the West Bank, restricts freedom of movement and the case is even more severe for the Gaza Strip. In fact, both the West Bank and Gaza Strip suffer from economic stagnation, whilst the unemployment rate, if put together, reaches 25.9%. In this climate of restricted movement and trade, the ability to participate in the global information, communications and technology (ICT) sector may enable the growth of the Palestinian economy, improve the quality of life for Palestinians, and create new income and employment opportunities.

However, the non-availability of PayPal in Palestine puts entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers in a vulnerable position. Although there are other options, PayPal remains the most widely trusted company. Therefore, many businessmen, entrepreneurs and freelancers are forced to move their businesses out of the country, thus not contributing to the Palestinian economy. They must bear an “additional” tax for doing business, including the additional costs of establishing an interest in a foreign country.

Based on the findings of this report, 7amleh Center calls on PayPal to reconsider its policies and provide Palestinians an equal access to the global markets. In addition, 7amleh recommends:

1-Conducting further research on the potential of economic development that can be generated by the company if to operate in Palestine, in addition to the remaining barriers to financial and technological readiness.

2-Establishing a coordination committee comprising of the Palestinian Authority, the Palestine Monetary Authority, representatives of the private sector and civil society organizations that can address any remaining “threats” or challenges that need to be resolved and to also develop a strong evidence-based appeal to PayPal that proves that Palestine is a safe environment financially.

3-Educating the public about discriminatory PayPal policies and mobilize them to support campaigns that focus on lobbying PayPal to change its policies on Palestine.

4-Lobbying PayPal to clarify its policy towards Palestine, in an evidence-based manner, whilst encouraging it to develop a clear plan to launch PayPal in Palestine.

5-Inviting representatives of PayPal to visit Palestine, in order to meet relevant stakeholders, in the spirit of “financial democracy” as stated by the CEO of the company several times.

This report is part of 7amleh – The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media ongoing campaign to defend Palestinian digital rights as human rights through research, reports, studies and awareness campaigns on the policies of social media networks and internet companies towards Palestinians. It is also worth noting that 7amleh has previously conducted studies and reports on the policies of Facebook, Google and other companies.